Apparatus for producing webs of fabric coated with rubber



Dec. 22, 1931. R. B. SEARIGHT 1,337,682

APPARATUS FOR PRODUCITNG WEBS OF FABRIC COATED WITH RUBBER K Filed Nov. 12, 1929 Zr/kale)? Patented Dec. 22, 1931 UNITED STATES.

v RICHARD BUTLER SEARIGHT, OF FULDA, GERMANY APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING WEBS OF FABRIC COATED WITH RUBBER Application filed November 12, 1929,-Seria1No. 406,699, and in Germany September 20, 1929.

This invention relates to an apparatus for producing lengths of fabric coated with rubber. 1

The object of the invention'is to provide an apparatus by means of which webs of textile material of very considerable length may be coated with rubber on both sides.

This according to the invention is accom! plished by the fact that the fabric is passed in step-like manner in parallelly disposed paths from the top towards the bottom in a closed chamber, which is divided by means of horizontal partitions into separate compartments allowed to communicate'with each other. The container, which serves for preliminary saturation (if the web with rubber, and through which the web is passed, is situated at the top part of the chamber in the vicinity of the commencing point of the web. Two special application or coating devlces are provided towards the end of the web, and

' between the same there is furnished a device ber coating, passes through the one coating device out of the heated chamber, over the reversing device and past the second coating device back into the heated chamber.

It is thus accomplished that a certain cooling of the web passing over the reversal device takes place, in such manner that the rubber which as a result of the preliminary saturation is situated in the spaces intermediate the single threads of the fabric is caused to fabric is interrupted for a certain part of the distance traversed. This interruption is simultaneously utilized for reversing the web .so that the second layer may be applied.

plates heated by means of steam. In addition to this provision may be made for auxiliary heating by employing a current of hot air, which is passed through the chamber in counterflow to the direction of movement of the web. The heating of the chamber causes a corresponding heating of the web, and accordingly evaporation of the solvent con tained in the rubber.

The webs of fabric coated with rubber and produced according to the invention maybe employed for various diiferent purposes.

Thus, for example, the material is particu larly suitable for producing sheets and plates for insulating purposes, or as floor coverings or wall coverings to obtain insulation, etc.

The invention will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawing, which is a diagrammatical view of the apparatus in part longitudinal section.

Referring to the drawing, 1 is a frame produced from section iron or the like and covered on all'sides with plates or sheets so that a rectangular chamber is formed. Openings are provided at suitable points to make parts oftheapparatus accessible for control and operatlng purposes. \Vithin this chamber there is provided a second closed chamber bounded by walls 2, which chamber may be designated as heating chamber, and is shown in thick lines in the drawing. the web of fabric passing from a suitable source of supply in the direction of the arrow P, this web entering'the heating chamber at 4 and after traversing a short distance again emerging from the same at 5. The web.

3 then passes over the guide rolls 6, 7 and 8 -,through a container 9, in which is situated the rubber solution of a suitable kind, This threads of the fabric.

the fabric are completely filled out by the rubber solution. The web, leaving the container 9, is conducted over a. roll 10, and again enters the heating chamber at 11, to

then pass over the roll 12. The heating chamheris divided into four superimposed'comgartments by means of three intermediate oors or partitions 13, 14 and 15. Thetopmost compartment, as already set forth above,

serves for preheating the web of fabric 3 before the same enters into the preliminary saturation container 9, and for heating the web 3 as it again enters at 11. The solvent in the rubber evaporates under the action of the heat as the web asses from 11 over the roll 12 to the exit o1nt 16 en route to the second heatin cham r bounded by the partitions 13 an 14. The partitions 13, 14 and 15 are hollow plates. heated by means of steam or the like, so that the necessary temperature prevails in the individual compartments for evaporating the solvent from the rubber. Outside of the heating chamber is provided at 17 a coatin device which is shown diagrammaticalln the drawing. By means of this device t 0' web 3 is furnished with a coating of rubber on the one side, andthis coating binds with the initial saturation layer situated in the spaces between the single The web 3 now furnished with a second or coverin la er on the one side asses over the roll 18 ac into the heating 0 amber at 19. Since the coating device 17 and the'roll 18 are situated outside of the heating chamber a certain coolin of the web and the saturation layer occurs, w ile shortly afterwards heating 1s again effected in the heating chamber, whereby the binding of the second orcovering layer with the prerolls 2227 are disposed in such spacial re-.

lation and in such relative position that the web of material is reversed as it passes through the device, while in-additionthe web I is caused to traverse quite a considerable distance outside of the heating chamber. As the web passes over the rolls 2227 the same is very appreciably cooled, so that the first covering layer ap lied has been caused to bind in perfectly aultless manner with the preliminary saturation layer prior to the a plication .of the second covering layer on e other side of the web. Since, however, the web after the passage through the coating device 28 again enters the heating chamber at 29 a certain heating of the web with the layers of rubber thereon will occur upon the passage over the plate 15 and the roller 30 and then below the plate 15 through the lowermost compartment, so that the two covering layers and the preliminary saturation layer will be caused to bind in perfectly faultless manner,

the fabric and the rubber then forming a.

whole. The web 3 then leaves the heating chamber at 31, to be' passed over the roll .32 to a reserve roll 33.

In addition to the heatin of the partitions 13, 14 and 15 an additiona heating may be erformed by the introduction of dry air into the lowermost compartment of the heating chamber through the socket 34. This air flows .past a heating device 35, pref rably'furnished in the form of an electri al heating apparatus, and then passes in the direction of the arrow P into the second compartment and successively still following the arrow]? through all compartments to finally flow out through the socket 36. The air may thenbe again returned to the suction side of .the blower,-to be conducted afresh from the pressure side thereof back into the heating chamber through the socket 34.

The heating of the web furnished with the rubber layers by means of a moving current of hot air is insofar important as this current of air cooperates with thesingle currents of air mounting in a substantially vertical direction and caused. by the heated plates 13, 14 and 15, in such manner that in the spaces through which the web passes air eddies are formed, so that the rubber is caused to contact with continuously changing sections of air, a'rapid and thorough evaporation of the solution thus being obtained. 1

' It will be understood that no-restriction is made to the specific form of embodiment shown, and that various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In an apparatus for producing webs of fabric coated with rubber, a closed chamber, a vertical stepped partition dividing said chamber into two parts, horizontal partitions in one of said parts, said horizontal partitions consisting of hollow plates dividing the said chamber into individual compartments, guide means by which the web of material is conducted in step-like fashion from'the top to the bottom of the apparatus in certain stretches disposed parallel to each other, the

said hollow plates being adapted for the pas-' sage of a heating agent for heating the apparatus, a container in the other of said parts of the chamber adapted to receive rubber solution for preliminary saturation of the said web and disposed at the top of the said chamber in the vicinity of the point of introduction of the web, two coating devices for the final coating of the fabric situated in said other chamber part below the said solution container and adaptedto successively act upon opposite sides of the web, means situated between the said coating deviees for reversing the said web, means additional to the said first heating means for conducting hot air through the apparatus in counterflow to the direction of movement of the said web, said guide means for the said web causing the latter to emerge from the heating section and again enter the same between each single part operation.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature.

RICHARD BUTLER SEARIGHT. 

